The Search for Guitar Amperfection, Part 1

Intro

I will cover my own search for studio recording guitar amperfection: magical, delicious tone that feels authentic, satisfies the ears, and records well. I have hyperlinked a lot of information in this post, in case you're interested in following the white rabbit.

Purists

I am NOT a purist. Tone is tone, regardless how it was created. My only combo guitar amplifiers -- ever -- have been:

1. Peavey Backstage 30 (high school)
2. Peavey Bandit (Saturation!)
3. Roland JC-120, which I used for a decade
4. Johnson Amplification JM60
5. Gibson Goldtone GA15

Only one or two are considered "real" amps, depending on your level of snobbery. All of them were sold or given away a long time ago. The JC-120 and the Goldtone were gems. Both have gained a lot of respect over the years. (Roland still makes the JC-120!)

I will gloss over the amps I've listed above, since I recorded so little with them. They were great live amps. The Goldtone is the only one I still wish I had, and would likely use it in the studio today if I still owned it. This post is more about finding amperfection for recording in the studio.

Simulators: A Sonic Shortcut

I first started using "modeling" technology with the purchase of the Yamaha FX770 rack multi-effects processor, which included amp simulation. I recorded two albums worth of guitar-based music with it. The guitar amp/cabinet simulations were quite musical. The stereo effects were great, and the interface was easy-to-use. And, as with many other pieces of gear I've owned, I didn't realized how spoiled I was until I sold it. It was a piece music-making gold I abandoned for greener pastures.

Amp Modeling: The Next Generation

Next, I purchase a Line 6 POD 2.0. I owned it during a recording dry spell. I only managed to record one song called "Thrusters" (under the Goocher moniker). This was also during a financial dry spell: I sold the POD. I liked it a lot, but I parted with it for bread.

Soon after, I bought a much less expensive knock-off called the Behringer V-Amp, which turned out to be surprisingly useful and well-made. I recorded one song with it called "Oliver's Travels, Part 2" (again, as Goocher).

During the same period, the Johnson Amplification J-Station tabletop amp modeling unit was on sale. Johnson couldn't realistically complete with Line 6's juggernaut POD amp modeler, so they were selling the J-Station at fire sale prices during this period. The J-Station was built like a tank! A musical acquaintance from the (original) MP3.com days, Jeffrey Ryan Smoots, used a J-Station on one of his instrumental albums.  I was inspired.

Like the kidney bean-shaped POD of that era, the J-Station imposed odd limitations on the simultaneity of certain effects, like compressor and chorus... or something along those lines. I suspect this was a limitation of the DSP horsepower of the day.

Attack of the Floor PODs!

Let me get this out of the way right now: I am HUGE fan of Line 6. Huge! Their products have always been well-designed, intuitive to use, and powerful.

Starting with the POD XT Live, I have owned all of the top-of-the-line floor POD models in succession. The last two -- HD500 and HD500X -- weren't as sonically impressive to my ears. However, the incredible routing power and flexibility of the HD500s still makes my head spin. They are amazing works of engineering. (I suspect the forthcoming Line 6 Helix will make up for what the "HD" models lacked in sonic nuance and dynamism. The Helix seems to be a VERY powerful floor unit within its price range. Looks sexy, too.)

O.M.G. = The Axe-Fx Ultra

I don't remember how I first heard about the Fractal Audio Axe-Fx Ultra. Perhaps the shock of owning, hearing, and recording with an Ultra wiped out my memory.  I remember listening to YouTube videos, and reading artists hype it and describe using it. So, I took the leap, and ordered the Axe-Fx Ultra directly from Fractal Audio.

This cannot overstated:
If you have never experienced the Axe-Fx, you truly do not know what you are missing. I am at a loss how to follow-up that statement with descriptions of how awesome the Axe-Fx Ultra was. Receiving it, setting it up, then finally plugging in and using it was a mind-bending experience. I had never heard such amazing, dynamic, breathing, perfect tone. I'd say "unbelievable", except that I actually owned it and was hearing it with my own ears.

Since my Yamaha FX770 days, I have tended to build amp/cabinet + effects patches from the ground up. I very rarely start with a factory preset. Because of this, and the fact that I never found optimum placement for the Ultra, I ended up using it much less than I intended. It was the Porche of guitar amp modelers + effects, and I was treating it likewise: "parked" in my studio, kept in pristine condition, and very rarely "driven".

O.M.G. x 2 = The Axe-Fx II

When the Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II was announced, I impulsively decided to sell the Ultra so I could "upgrade". (A friend bought my Ultra. Only now -- in late-mid-2015 -- he is appreciating the sonic power he possesses in the Ultra. He wants to buckle down and learn how to program it more completely.) Again, I ordered directly from Fractal Audio -- the only channel through which I could purchase one.

The Axe-Fx II was like the Axe-Fx Ultra on steroids. If the Ultra was perfection, then the II was super perfection. Amazing, wonderful tone. Every single patch -- even crazy, weirdly-wild ones -- breathed like they were alive. (You don't master an Axe-Fx; you respectfully partner with one.)

I used it live on several occasions and -- predictably -- received compliments and queries every time. I used it minimally in the studio, because I was not actively recording at that time. Shame, really. What a magical piece of technology.

"I've Got a Fever, and the Only Prescription Is..."

A home studio. I decided I needed to invest in my home studio so I could record. I sold my Axe-Fx II and a ton of other music gear and bought what I needed (sound conditioning, rack gear, decent monitors, etc.). Oddly -- and now thankfully -- there were a handful of items that would not sell. Among them, the Line 6 M13 Stompbox Modeler and the BOSS DA-2 Adaptive Distortion (which I will cover in Part 2).

Enter The Amp Farm

I will end Part 1 of this series with a picture of the "amp farm". It is simply a tabletop (thus easy-to-reach!) arrangement of guitar effects and amp emulators I use in the studio these days. With this setup, I can achieve the sounds I hear in my head. I will go into more detail in Part 2.

The "Amp Farm"

A tabletop arrangement of effects and emulators.

Review: BOSS DA-2 Adaptive Distortion

Intro 

The BOSS DA-2 Adaptive Distortion pedal was introduced at the 2013 Winter NAMM show in January 2013. At nearly two years old, it is not new by technology standards. However, it is still fresh and intriguing, and every bit as "cool" as BOSS'es 2014 introduction of their MDP (Multi-Dimensional Processing). In fact, MDP seems to be just a renaming of the "Adaptive" part of the Adaptive Distortion technology. In both cases (Adaptive and MDP), the internal processing adapts to both the frequency and dynamics of the guitar signal, processing different registers optimally to produce clarity, creating a sound with simultaneously greater dimensionality and focus. It is hard to describe, though very pleasing to hear. (BOSS has done a good job selling the sizzle about their Adaptive and MDP technology. I recommend checking out Sweetwater's page, as it has two videos: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DA2)

Build

First--and this can never be said enough--BOSS pedals are built incredibly well. They are solid little tanks, able to withstand the doomiest Heavy Metal apocalypses. Though they're not literally indestructible, they come darn close. They're made of thick, high quality sheet steel. They are shaped so thoughtfully that BOSS/Roland has not changed their basic design since the first BOSS pedals appeared way back in ancient times (1980s). They are essentially the same size, shape and dimensions as the BOSS pedals I first owned in the mid- and late-80s (the red Distortion and the yellow Overdrive pedals--I used them, along with a couple other pedals and a rack DD in front of a JC-120).

Sound

I have not owned an actual amp or amp combo in years. I record direct, and always go direct when playing live. So, I always use an amp+cab simulator of some kind. In this case, my DA-2 sits in front of a Behringer TM300 Tube Amp Modeler (which I affectionately call "the poor man's Sans Amp", and which I will review separately). The guitar used is a Jackson Soloist SLATFXQMG3-8.

I tend to overue this word: Delicious. To my ears, the DA-2 sounds delicious. Though I wouldn't characterize the sound enhancement as ineffable, it really does defy easy description. What I hear when I play through it is an added clarity. The harmonic components of the tone are more subtly distinguishable, yet both richer and somehow edgier. It facilitates clarity even on dissonant chords at high distortion settings. I like what this pedal is doing to my sound.

I started by setting all knobs to the "12 o'clock" position then experimented from there. The only significant adjustment I made since adding the DA-2 to my pedalboard is to increase the "A-Dist" setting to about "14:30 o'clock", which gives my sound just the right amount of Metal bite and sustain, plus a nice decrease in grit when the volume (knob) is attenuated to reduce the guitar signal going into the pedal.

Conclusion

The BOSS DA-2 Adaptive Distortion is now a permanent member of my pedal parliament. With a booster pedal in front of it for soloing, the DA-2 is just about perfect.